Bond villains come in all shapes and size. From badass Russian assassins like Xenia Onatopp to evil bankers like Le Chiffre and even giant, indestructible men like Jaws, there's no specific mold for the enemies of 007. With Bond 25 still a long way off, and Daniel Craig's potential involvement in the project unclear, we've started to wonder what future installments in the franchise may look like. I recently had the chance to talk to Rainn Wilson about his upcoming villainous turn as Gargamel in Smurfs: The Lost Village, and he admitted that he really wants to play a Bond bad guy. It's an idea so crazy that it just might work. Wilson said:
Boy I would love to play a Bond villain one day but I highly doubt that's gonna happen. I highly doubt the producers of Bond are gonna go, 'Let's get the guy who played Dwight on The Office to go play a Bond villain.' But I would die happy if I got to play a Bond villain.
Imagine a villain who is cold, calculating and an expert in numerous forms of close quarters combat. He's smarter than he looks, and he gets off on having power over others. Does that sound like an awesome and formidable foe for James Bond to go up against? Well, I just described Dwight Schrute. While it's true that Rainn Wilson is known for portraying funny characters, the fact of the matter is that the traits he brought to his most iconic persona could easily be warped into a bizarre (and yet entirely interesting) villain.
Besides, Rainn Wilson already has experience in the spy genre. If your recall, he played Agent Michael Scarn's robot butler in The Office's in-universe short film Threat Level Midnight:
It's also certainly worth mentioning that bringing an actor like Rainn Wilson into the Bond franchise could allow the series to return to its campier roots after the somewhat darker Daniel Craig years. While we absolutely adore the dark direction that the last four films have gone in, Wilson's particular knack for scenery chewing could easily lend itself to a delightfully corny villain, unlike anything the James Bond series has seen in years. He could easily join the ranks Christopher Walken's Max Zorin from 1985's A View To A Kill or Herve Villechaize's Nick Nack from The Man With The Golden Gun. Recent Bond villains may have taken themselves very seriously, but Rainn Wilson's Bond villain could be a major return to form for the series.
Rainn Wilson may never play a Bond villain, but for now, you catch him as the villainous Gargamel when Smurfs: The Lost Village hits theater on April 7. Take a look at our movie premiere guide for more detailed information regarding the rest of 2017's major theatrical debuts.
